Danilovgrad close in on KFUM Oslo and Zelezarec

Three teams will be competing for the one remaining main round berth when UEFA Futsal Cup preliminary round Group E concludes on Sunday.

Montenegrin side KMF Danilovgrad secured an 8-3 win against Istanbul Üniversitesi SK on Friday to get off the mark and ended within one point of hosts KMF Zelezarec Skopje and KFUM Futsal Oslo after the Matchday 1 victors drew 1-1. To qualify Danilovgrad must defeat goal-difference leaders Zelezarec and hope Oslo do not beat eliminated Istanbul.

Having suffered a 7-3 loss to KFUM on Thursday, Danilovgrad were keen to bounce back against an Istanbul side who had gone down 13-5 to Zelezarec. And although Savas Senel gave Istanbul an early lead, Danilovgrad were soon in control and Zoran Barović and Igor Jovanović both scored hat-tricks. Alper Okutan did pull two back late on after Senel was sent off.

That result meant that Oslo could secure qualification with a game to spare by beating Zelezarec and Stian Sortevik put KFUM into a 12th-minute lead only for Darko Rangotov to equalise 15 seconds before the break and neither side took many risks after the interval. The Skopje side are four goals ahead of Oslo, whose game against Istanbul begins Sunday's action.

The eventual winners will travel to Slovakia for main round Group 1 to face hosts Slov-Matic Bratislava, FC Kobarid of Slovenia and Sporting Clube de Portugal. FS Ilves Tampere, Győri ETO FC, AGBU Ararat Nicosia FC, Sporting Fingal SC, MNK Orlić Sarajevo and Kremlin Bicêtre United have already won the other preliminary round groups.